YouTube, NBA sign content deal

Google and the NBA are back together, this time on YouTube. Will the hope of …

YouTube has launched a brand-new NBA Channel (warning: Ahmad Rashad ahead) that will feature game highlights and other original content uploaded by the NBA, as well as videos shared by YouTube users. Users will be encouraged to continue uploading NBA videos to YouTube. The top "Post Up the NBA" (e.g., user-submitted) videos each week will be compiled into a weekly "NBA Top 10 on YouTube" highlight reel that will be broadcast on the league's cable NBA Channel. Users will be able to rate the "Post Up" videos.

The latest partnership between Google and the NBA goes beyond YouTube, however. NBA video will be syndicated across Google's AdSense network, enabling publishers to receive video clips from NBA games. The syndication deal is a temporary one, with both entities evaluating its effectiveness after a test run.

Those of you who recall the launch of Google Video will remember that the NBA was one of the company's first partners. NBA games and highlights were available at the Google Video Store at launch, but the user experience fell short. Footage for some games started in the middle of the first quarter, while other games had unexpected gaps—not a good thing when users were paying $4.99 to watch the videos.

Although users are encouraged to upload NBA video to YouTube, the NBA still has the option of removing material. The NBA will use YouTube's "Claim Your Content" screening system to identify and report videos that infringe on the NBA's copyrights. Instead of requesting that videos be taken down, however, the NBA will have the option of taking a cut of any advertising revenue generated by the clips.

The NBA and the NHL are now the only two major US sports leagues to sign content deals with YouTube. The NFL and Major League Baseball appear to be more concerned with keeping absolute control over their content, while the NBA and NHL are embracing user-generated video as a way of expanding their fan base.